Since the fiasco of the broken level, we have been planning another coop. The Geek has been bringing home scrap 2×4’s from work for the past year. Each time the Man Who Knows Everything is here, we sketch ideas and discuss shed-roof versus a hip-roof. Finally the time was upon us to work on it! Naturally the heat index went through the roof but since TMWKE had just spent 2 weeks with Red, this seemed easy in comparison!

As you can see there is quite a size difference here. Right now the girls are just 8 weeks old and are managing in the old coop, but I think they are really going to appreciate the extra room!

Red is inspecting the progress. We point out exciting things like the awesome linoleum that is way nicer than what is in our kitchen and the chicken wire across the top for ventilation.

Red points out the nifty design features to Buddy, and apparently asks him to imagine opening the door.

As you can see there is a ever so slight difference between the “Coop Redo” and our first attempt. My suggestion? Never attempt a chicken coop without at least one Man Who Knows Everything.

You can’t see the beautiful shingles that the Geek got for 1/2 off and nailed down in the 90+ heat, but they are there! Man that is a sexy chicken coop! Just needs a door!

Our new flock has arrived. They will be 1 week old tomorrow. We ordered 5 Buff Orpington pullets, 5 Silver-laced Wyandotte pullets and 5 mixed Golden-laced Polish. We received 1 extra Buff Orpington and lost 1 of our Silver-laced chicks. So we have 15 fats little chicks left. They are fluff balls of adorableness!

We completed Halo’s new paddock and took the girls completely off the grass on March 19th. Today we finished fencing in the front ¼ of an acre and let them out for the first time in almost a month. Needless to say they were beyond excited. If you have never attempted to lead two Thoroughbreds from dry lots across bountiful grass after they have been put up for almost a whole month…..well don’t!

The fan is up, the lighting is up, the manure bunker is complete (until we get further wood) AND we have some really wonderful looking raised beds for our garden filled with lovely compost.

I have learned something very important about myself during these past 10 months of hard work here the farm. I would rather sweat and struggle and pick ticks off my worn out carcass every day working for myself than sit in my nice air-conditioned office working for the man!

After all the huffing and puffing and ranting and raving, we have completed our coop. Of course it still needs landscaping and it still needs paint. However, at this point it is fully functional and chickenified. It sure isn’t one of those Coop Cadillacs that I have seen but it cost less than $50 total and most importantly the flock seems to dig it!

The Guineas Enjoying the Roost

Inside the Coop

I was thinking of another window on each side and then perhaps window boxes with some flowers? And of course we will need to add some nesting boxes this fall…..and and and…..

Do you have any ideas on how to spruce up our coop?

Did you enjoy this post? Help spread the word! Digg it, Stumble it or save it to del.icio.us.
For regular updates, you can subscribe to The Intentional Family in the upper right hand corner of the blog.